VHP's 'Sankalp Diwas' foiled, 1,600 including BJP MP arrested

A massive crackdown by the Uttar Pradesh government in which about 1,600 people were arrested including BJP MP Yogi Adityanath foiled VHP's planned rally in Ayodhya today in support of constructing a temple at the disputed site.
The congregation for 'Sankalp Diwas' was already banned by the Akhilesh Yadav government but VHP activists hiding in various temples made a vain attempt at around 11 AM to march towards the banks of the Saryu river. The activists were, however, arrested before they set out from the temples.
"Around 1,600 people, including BJP and VHP leaders and workers, were arrested across the state as a preventive measure," IG (law and order) R K Vishwakarma told PTI in Lucknow. "The day was totally peaceful," he said.

The borders of twin towns of Ayodhya and Faizabad were sealed since Thursday as a precautionary measure but it was reopened for traffic in the evening, he added.
BJP MP Yogi Adityanath and 24 others accompanying him to the VHP rally in Ayodhya, were arrested ahead of the rally at the railway station in Gonda as a preventive measure, police said. The rally has been banned for violating the prohibitory orders, ADM Anjani Kumar Singh said in Gonda.
BJP MLA Ram Chandra Yadav and former party minister Lallu Singh, VHP leaders Champat Rai, Ram Vilas Vedanti and Sharad Sharma were also among the arrested people.

Security forces were instructed to extend cooperation for regular devotees who were coming to Ayodhya for 'Sharad Purnima' bath at Saryu river.

An estimated 10,000 people took bath in Saryu river on the occasion, officials said.
Faizabad DM Vipin Kumar Dviwedi and SSP K B Singh, who were camping since last night at a police outpost in Ayodhya, said devotees started taking holy bath from 4 AM.
With Muzaffarnagar riots in the back of its mind, the Centre also asked the UP government to maintain status quo in Ayodha and prevent any attempt to flare up communal tension anywhere in the state.

The Home Ministry has told the UP authorities to observe status quo in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya as per the Supreme Court directive and not to allow any gathering near the disputed area.
It was for the third time in three months that the UP government peacefully foiled VHP's agitations. '84-Kosi Parikrama' and 5-Kosi Parikrama' in support of Ram temple construction in Ayodhya were earlier foiled.